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I Mother Earth's Christian Tanna will be the new general manager of The Venue when it opens this summer, owner Mike Skinner toldThe Examineryesterday.

Skinner will officially make the announcement to the community Thursday, he said, that the '90s rock star will take over the former Vibe Nightclub on George St. N. for Kawartha Entertainment Group (Skinner's company) when it reopens as a concert and events venue in August.

"We're very excited to have him," Skinner said. "He has extensive experience, both from the band side as well as from an agent perspective."

Tanna and his brother Jagori left Peterborough after graduating from Crestwood Secondary School more than 20 years ago.

"Having come back to Peterborough where I grew up and got my start in the music industr

y, I am really excited about joining such a forward thinking and community minded entertainment," Tanna states, in a press release. "I look forward to leading The Venue and reaching outside its boundaries to create events that will excite the arts community in Peterborough and the surrounding area."

Tanna spent 15 years touring with multi-platinum Canadian alternative rock band I Mother Earth, which he founded with his brother. He is also a founding member of popular pub band The Flaming Hoops, his biography states.

After I Mother Earth stopped recording, Tanna moved into event creation and production, creating events like "Jazz in the Round" and "The Blue Sky Revival," an environmental event now in its sixth year, Skinner said.

Skinner said Tanna also has experience as a manager of a theatre in Cobourg.

"So he's really seen all sides of the business," he said. "It's an excellent fit for us."

The grand opening for The Venue will be Sept. 4, Skinner said.

The $800,000 to million-dollar project, that includes a complete renovation the nightclub, has been in the works for about two years, he said.

"It's getting renovated from bottom to top," he said.

The building will be overhauled to hold 900 to 1,000 people on its first floor, standing room only, Skinner said.

He wants to use the space for concerts, conventions, weddings and corporate functions, he said.